That Time I Almost Died in a German Sauna

There are two types of people in this world: there are those who go to saunas for relaxation. Then there are those who turn relaxation into a competition. Yes, there are literally people who go to saunas to challenge one another on who can stay in a sauna the longest. Back in 2010 I read a story about that Russian guy who died in a sauna competition in Finland. The relaxation aspect of it I can get, but I think it’s a bit crazy that people take it to a whole new level and put their bodies through stress just

Have You Seen the Dall Sheep?

Alaska is teeming with wildlife. In fact, Denali National Park & Preserve is home to 39 species of mammals, 169 types of birds, 14 fish, and 1 amphibian. Amongst them are wild bears, moose, coyotes, wolves, eagles, and other creatures worth excitedly wiping out your camera and accidentally dropping it for. But no animal in Alaska gets the older male tourist population more pumped than the Dall sheep. When compared to the other majestic creatures that you encounter in Alaska, the Dall sheep are simpletons. You can usually observe them far off in the distance, hanging out on the peaks

From the Darkness Comes Light

Hey there readers, On A Travel Broad, I tend to focus only on the positive and exciting side of my life and travels. I share with you pictures from my time living in Germany and stories of my jaunts through Europe and North America in hopes of inspiring you to go out and experience the world for yourselves. But I hardly ever discuss the difficult times I sometimes face. Some of these challenging times are by my choice because I love traveling and sharing my travels with you gives me purpose. In the 5 years since I’ve started this blog,

How to Navigate Germany When Deutsche Bahn Train Drivers Go on Strike

If you want to tick off a group of Germans, tell them that the train is going to be fifteen minutes late. But if you tell them that none of the trains will be running due to a strike? Utter chaos! Hundreds of thousands of travelers depend on the Deutsche Bahn to transport them to airports, cities and neighboring countries in Europe. But as Deustche Bahn train drivers prepare to go on strike tomorrow through Monday, these travelers, many of whom will be converging on Berlin this weekend for the 25th anniversary of its fall, are scrambling for an alternative.

Playing with Roma Children

Below Acropolis in Athens, Greece, Roma children work as street performers, playing accordions, drums and the bouzouki, a type of Greek guitar, for money. They purposely target marketplaces and tourist areas, knowing that that’s where the cash flows the fastest. There are several levels of aggressiveness when it comes to begging. Some casually perform on the street corner — in fact, the older kids are very talented at playing folk music, turning street corners in to concerts. Then there are others who go from cafe table to cafe table playing music while simultaneously begging for money. Some get creative by

Answer to the Infamous Question, “What’s Your Favorite Place in the World”

“What’s your favorite place in the world?” It’s often the first question that everyone asks when they learn that I’m a travel writer. In my younger years, I often answered with a place I had recently gotten back from, mostly for the sake of conversation. “Oh I was surprised how much I loved Denmark” or “I loved Barcelona for the food”. But the more I travel, the more I realize that there is no definitive answer to this question. People sometimes expect me to pick a favorite place because of the sites (“isn’t Paris the best because of the Eiffel

York: England’s Most Haunted Town is Actually Charming

York: England’s most haunted town. Seems like a bold claim, but when you look at York’s gruesome history of the Black Death, murder, poverty, war, and genocide you can kind of see where these ghost stories come from. As a result, many businesses in York are cashing in on things that go bump in the night. Nightly ghost tours take upwards of 75 thrill-seekers at a time to go ghost hunting at famous sites, hotels offer premier rates to stay in their “haunted suite”, and pubs have banners and signs claiming York’s most haunted pub, not because of any quantifiable

The Cats of Athens

People often talk about how many dogs are roaming around Athens, but let’s take a moment to enjoy the cats. With the picturesque views and the natural coyness of cats, I have enough photos to do a 15-month “Kittehs of Athens” Calendar if I wanted to. Here’s a few of my favorite felines so far.

6 Things I Wish I Knew Before Road Tripping Alaska

This past September, my roommate and I embarked on #RoadTripAlaska. We flew into Anchorage, rented a car and hit the road with only a vague idea of what we wanted to accomplish. I must say, that given the minimal planning, my roommate and I did a phenomenal job going with the flow and making it up as we went along. But after the journey, I had a dose of retrospect. Looking back there are things that I learned on the journey that I wish I had thought of beforehand — but I guess there’s always next time! 1. Bring toiletpaper

Denali National Park and Preserve: Photo Essay

if there’s one thing that I learned in Denali National Park & Preserve is that nature is mightier than man. Alaska was the first place I had ever been to where man was not in control of the environment. I gained a respect for Alaskans because not only is the state remote, forcing its residents to be resourceful, but they live in an environment that is constantly trying to kill them. There are earthquakes, landslides, glacial winds, tsunamis, falling rocks, blizzards and avalanches, and let’s not forget the wildlife. Bears will chase you, moose will trample you and worst of

I Finally Left the London Heathrow Airport

I’ve technically been to London six times… that’s if you count how many times I’ve flown through London Heathrow. Honestly, before a couple months ago, I never set foot out of airport. But during this last round to Europe, I actually left the airport for my first time! I mean, there are plenty of fun activities in the London Heathrow Airport, but to leave and officially be in England was a rewarding experience. There’s several convenient and inexpensive ways to leave the airport and explore, one of them being the Heathrow Express. I was impressed with how nice public transportation was. Unlike in Philadelphia, the train was very prompt, clean, quite and fast. All things I would expect from a train!

I ventured out of London to a relaxing spa town called Tunbridge Wells. There, I stayed at the Spa Inn which was situated amongst rolling hills and peaceful gardens. It was a pleasant visit. I didn’t get to explore England too much. I was only there on business and it was the late fall meaning the sun set way earlier than I was used to. But here are a few quirky, charming things that I found unique about England during my short visit.

1.) Tea Time with Triangle Sandwiches

Triangle sandwiches make tea time in England adorable! Sandwich platters also offer a lot of variety to the table with crazy creations like cucumber sandwiches, salmon finger sandwiches and savory-sweet ham finger sandwiches. I guess what I appreciate most is the creativity behind the recipes as well as the attention to detail when it comes to the presentation. It brings a hint of tradition to the tea time ritual.

2.) Cute Gardens

Well groomed gardens are all over the place. I enjoy that people tend to their yards. They surely are a nice way to unwind.

From the gardens at The Spa Inn in Tunbridge Wells

3.) Driving on the Other Side of the Road

I’ll never get over that. It almost feels like a roller coaster, sitting in what would be the driver’s seat in America and then speeding through the windy cobblestone streets.

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Meet Kae Lani Kennedy

Hi! My name is Kae Lani Kennedy and I am a 25 year old writer based out of Philadelphia. I fund my vagrant lifestyle through a myriad of tricks and trades I've picked up over the years. Join me on my travels as I discover what it takes to be a broad abroad!